Before you start animals as pets at home, you should find out some details about the features of their living conditions, their temper and habits. This also applies to a rather active and sociable animal, which we will discuss in this article. It should immediately be noted that it is desirable to start not one animal, but several at once, so that they are always in a good mood and so that they do not get bored.
This article will focus on the ground protein. What animal is called that? What does it look like, where does it live and what does it eat? You can learn about all this by reading the information presented in this article.
Description
Ground squirrel (photo presented in the article) is a rodent from the genus African gopher squirrels. The length of her body reaches 26 cm, and the length of the tail is approximately 20-25 centimeters. The fur of this animal is quite hard and sparse, without undercoat. The upper part of the body is light, reddish brown or reddish gray. Due to the presence oftips of individual hairs of black color black dots are visible on the coat.
On both sides of the body, some varieties have a dark stripe running from the shoulders to the hips. The yellow or white nails are quite long. Compared to other species of the genus, females have more nipples (approximately 4-6).
Habitats, lifestyle
In the wild, ground squirrel is common in the Karoo desert and in South Africa (southward to the Orange River). They inhabit mainly light forests, savannahs, deserts and semi-deserts.
Usually they dig short (maximum up to 2 meters) burrows with several exits, sometimes connected to neighboring burrows. This animal does not hibernate. Once a year or every six months, the female brings 1-6 (mostly 4) cubs. A curious fact is that these squirrels cohabit with another colonial predator meerkat (viverrid family). Both animals visit each other in order to play together and frolic among the stones and rocks.
Some animal lovers keep the funny ground squirrels in their backyards and homes as pets. The animals quickly getting used to the owner do not even try to run away.
The diet includes seeds and fruits of plants, edible rhizomes and bulbs. These animals are capable of harming crops of sweet potatoes and peanuts. They also feed on bird eggs, small reptiles and insects.
Classification
Total like these funny animals 3subgenus and 4 species of ground squirrels:
- Subgenus Xerus - red.
- Subgenus Euxerus - striped.
- Subgenus Geosciurus - Damar and Cape.
Cape Ground Squirrel
In the photo you can see that this is a very funny and cute rodent of the squirrel family. Its appearance is more like a gopher than an ordinary squirrel. It should be noted that it is lighter than a simple squirrel, amenable to training and has a more docile nature. Therefore, she often becomes a pet.
The Cape squirrel lives in the savannas, semi-deserts and deserts of South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana. This animal is adapted to life in such extreme conditions, when the air warms up to a temperature of more than 40 ° C, and the soil - up to 62 ° C. He is protected by a fluffy tail, which he uses as an umbrella. Under natural conditions, these rodents almost do not drink water, they are content with moisture obtained from food. They feed on plant bulbs, herbs, fruits, shrubs and insects.
The natural enemies of this species of ground squirrel are snakes, jackals and birds of prey. They live in small colonies in independently dug burrows, which have a fairly extensive system of tunnels (area - up to 700 square meters). The number of entrances to these underground properties ranges from 2-100. Daytime squirrel lifestyle. They do not stock up on food, as food can be found at any time of the year.
About keeping at home
Proteins –amazingly cute and fluffy creatures that are always active and cheerful. And it seems to many that if you get them at home, it will be a continuous holiday. In fact, this is not the case when it comes to ordinary protein. In most cases, this cute animal, which many people like to hand-feed in parks, is completely unsuitable for keeping at home. Or rather, about 90% of squirrels do not fit, since it is known that 90 out of 100 animals can sooner or later scratch or bite the owner. Only 10% of animals tamed from a young age can become affectionate and sweet. This is due to the fact that ordinary proteins have an unpredictable nature, they have a tendency to periodic mood swings, depending on the hormonal background.
The Chilean squirrel called degu is a completely different matter. This exotic good-natured animal takes root wonderfully at home.
Chilean ground degu squirrels
Their maintenance in the apartment does not cause much trouble: you just need to know how to properly care for them, what to feed them and what living conditions to provide them with.
Degu is a small domestic squirrel. Outwardly, this rodent is more like a jerboa. Its second name is the Chilean squirrel, due to the fact that it comes from Chile. However, it should be noted that this animal has nothing to do with ordinary squirrels. Degu belongs to the genus Eight-toothed, family Eight-toothed. Under natural conditions, it lives in a rocky area, heavily overgrown with shrubs.
There are twovarieties of degu squirrels: yellow-brown, gray-brown. The average body length of this animal is 20 centimeters. The tail is long, covered with soft and delicate fur. Chilean squirrels usually graze in the morning or before sunset, as they are very sensitive to heat. Long exposure to hot sunlight can cause heatstroke in squirrels. Favorite food in natural living conditions - roots and seeds of plants, tree bark.
Those who want to get a ground squirrel as a pet, it is important to remember that the degu squirrel should never be taken by the tail, as it has one strange feature: it is capable of shedding its skin from the tail in case of danger and thus run away. Then the damaged part of the tail dies off.
Feedback on home care
Judging by the reviews of people who keep degu squirrels in the house, these animals quickly get used to people and adapt to living conditions. The owners of these animals note that caring for them is not difficult. You just need to devote enough time to communicate with your pet.
Chilean ground squirrels are rodents, so their diet must include cereals, dried peas, oat seeds and seeds. Gradually, you can give ground crackers. Juicy food should be present in the daily menu: fruits are not sweet, vegetables are hard. Sweet foods should not be given to degus, as even diabetes can develop. Also, you can not feed the animal with dairy products.
